Beauty and the Beast
by project-jay89
Summary: Theirs is a tale as old as time- enemies locked in battle to the bitter end, forever caught in a vicious cycle of death and rebirth. Cursed. This time the cycle will be broken.
1. Chapter 1

**Synopsis: **Theirs is a tale as old as time- enemies locked in battle to the bitter end, forever caught in a vicious cycle of death and rebirth. Cursed. This time the cycle will be broken.

**Timeframe: **Set as an alternative story to Twilight Princess. In order to enjoy this tale, take what you know about that game and throw it right out the window.

**Author's Note:** Over the years I tried and failed continuously to write what I saw as a fanfiction that I was happy with. This is far from perfect. This is far from what I think I have the potential to _some day_ do. That said, this story got stuck in my head and I felt it needed to be told. For what it is, enjoy and trust that I'm going to take you on a journey where things may not make sense at first, but they'll be clear when the time comes. 

* * *

**Beauty and the Beast**

* * *

_**Part 1: The King Is Dead**_

_The king is dead, long live the queen_. Chanting in the streets, at once a time to mourn and a time to celebrate. It left a bitter taste in the mouth of the last living royal, a slight girl of fair hair and the tender age of eighteen. _Zelda_, her mother had spoken so reverently at her birth... only moments before she herself had bled out and left her, the first in a long line of deaths that paved the way to the princess being not the first heir to the throne, but the _only_ heir. Two brothers had fallen before her; the eldest to an arrow they spoke of as a mistake during a hunting trip. Rumors said differently. The death of William had left her parents in tears. The loss of their second son, Alistair, only a year later had devastated the family. _He _had died from a rare, incurable disease. To this day Zelda could see him laid out on his bed, gasping for breath while his body deteriorated and bed sores tormented his weak form.

One morning he simply didn't wake up.

By then they'd already suffered the loss of the queen as well and the king was beside himself in his grief. Smiles were rare, laughter was even rarer. When her father finally passed, it had come as a relief. A man as tortured as he deserved that rest even if it left her as the last living member of what had once been such a strong, happy family.

Now she would be queen, though still princess until her coronation. First they would have to lay her father to rest and that was a task she did not envy herself _or_ the grave keeper. One week of mourning, then she would be crowned and life would forever change. No, that was a lie. Life had already changed. They said that what didn't kill you made you stronger, but the princess was hardly sure if that was the case. Stronger, no. Colder? Yes. After a while one started to become immune to death, after all. 

* * *

Every time she read of funerals in books, they were always on the side of a hill on a cold, dreary day. On the day of her father's funeral the sun shone so brightly that even under her parasol she was forced to use a pristine, white handkerchief to mop the sweat from her brow. Summer was at its height and she could hear birds tweeting in the trees even as the priest spoke prayers to the goddesses and Hylia, stood upon display as she was in front of her father's casket in the middle of Hyrule Castle Town. A royal funeral was a _spectacle_ after all. Her father's corpse was the main attraction but she was the side show. Everyone wanted to see the princess cry. Not because they lacked the compassion to care for her loss, but because they felt her passions, above all, should show. She was supposed to fall to her knees and _wail_. Except she... couldn't.

Dried eyes gazed at the ornate stone in which she knew her father to be contained within. If she pushed back the cover, she'd see him one last time. Her fingers twitched, clutched the handle of her parasol tighter and she exhaled. One, two, three. She didn't have the strength to do it. No more dwelling on the dead. Not like _that_.

Propriety dictated that she remain put, and so Zelda _did._ She stayed there until the last spectator had left. She stayed there until even the priest, having put a kindly old hand to her shoulder, walked off as well. She stayed there until finally, she made an about turn on the high heel of her black boot and strode off. Armor clanked then soldiers stepped forward to begin the long process of transporting the heavy container to the royal mausoleum. Zelda didn't look back.

She didn't look back. Not even as her heels clicked a vicious rhythm across the detailed patterns beneath her feet, not even as she lifted her black skirts just enough to climb the white steps to the gates of Hyrule castle, crossed the bridge... stepped through the second set of gates. The courtyard looked far too cheerful for what had just transpired and she set her jaw firm. She was _alone_. Her father had made the worst betrayal in giving up when he still had one child living that _needed_ him. The fool. The old, senile, _loving_ fool. By the Goddesses she was going to miss him.

Grief was such a curious thing. One could tell themselves that they were fine, that they were used to it all and then without warning it would hit. Like a tidal wave sweeping across the Great Sea, it would hit and take all one's rationality with it. _Strength_; a word she held so much importance in and yet here she was fleeing past the entrance hall and down to the dungeons so that servants and soldiers alike wouldn't see their soon-to-be queen break down. The dungeons were empty. The only ones down there to see her cry were the mice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** As you can see, I'm not much worred about the timeline. I needed some artistic license to bring this tale to life, of course.

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**Beauty and the Beast**

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_**Part 2: The Prisoner Of Basement Two**_

Two days to coronation. The castle was still garbed in black for mourning. Sat at her father's desk, _ her desk_, Zelda sat straight backed and stared dispassionately down at the still sealed letter in front of her. It bore the seal of Labrynna, the land across the Great Sea. She knew it was from the queen regarding her son. Her father had been in contact with Ambi over the prospect of an arranged marriage- one Zelda could see no sense in. Prince Anton was a pompous ass with barely a brain under all his silky, wavy hair. He was not worthy to be a ruler of Labrynna, much less be allowed to sit at her side in Hyrule.

Zelda reached out with her jaw set firm and an expression if grim determination while she dipped her quill in ink and wrote upon a piece of parchment with the royal seal set in the letterhead. A sprinkle of fairy dust and it was dry. Folding it, slender fingers placed it within an envelope, dripped wax onto the flap and sealed it with her ring. "Take this to a messenger. To be delivered to Labrynna- the queen." She intoned. There was simply no way she was going to marry silly Anton.

"Of course, princess." The maid curtseyed.

Standing, Zelda smoothed the front of her skirts. The letter had unsettled her. Clearly another walk in the dungeons would be required to ease the burdens of her heavy heart. There was something about the cold, damp loneliness that made her feel... free. Ironic for a place to hold the wicked to be able to set the burdens of the innocent at ease.

* * *

She'd never dared to step further than the first basement. Her father had warned her that below that was... something unpleasant. Now her father was dead and no one was there to chasten her for her curiosity. Zelda reached out and- locked. No matter. Her father's keys had already been given to her and now she could fish them out- trying key after key until finally the lock clicked and the door swung open.

Beyond it was darkness.

Zelda stepped in. So quiet was it that the very sound of her heavy skirts dragging across the floor sounded almost too loud to her ears. She winced and forced herself to remember that she was _alone_. Except she wasn't. As her eyes adjusted, through the dark she could make out a shape. A lump; large and dirty and, by the Goddess, but it was _breathing_. She shuddered and made to back away until she could too see that the creature was contained behind bars of the purest _white._ As she neared them, the princess could see that they glowed gold so faintly that it could barely be seen. Magic. Powerful magic.

"S' not nice t' not say hello..." The lump rasped and shifted. The very effort of moving seemed too much and immediately the man took a rasping breath and coughed. Something metal rattled. Not only was he behind bars of holy magic, but he was chained to that corner.

Zelda swallowed thickly and opened her mouth, but found it impossible to say anything. She snapped it shut again.

"F' y're here, s' tha' mean th' ole king s' dead?" Orange eyes peered at her through the darkness.

The princess looked over the man once more. He seemed to weak to be a danger, yet clearly he was in this odd solitary confinement for a reason. "What reason have you to care, prisoner? Ah... or was it that my father was your only means of survival? If so, I pity you, for you shall not be receiving meals any further."

The man set his cracked, dry, grey/green lips firm. Yet even anger seemed too much and in the end he sighed, turning his eyes from her. "Y' th' pri'cess." It wasn't a question. "D' you feel i' yet? Th' voices..." He swallowed hard- his throat far too parched. "...Do'n listen t' them." His head of shocking red hair, matted and long, shook slowly to emphasize his point. "Do'n listen t' them."

Zelda fled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I would like to thank both people who gave me such wonderful reviews on chapters one and two! Those reviews mean the world to me and inspire me to keep going!

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**Beauty and the Beast**

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_**Chapter 3: Voices**_

Zelda couldn't quite forget about the man in the basement. His words haunted her through the late afternoon, into the evening and through the night. Crazy. He was just crazy- unhinged from his time in captivity. There was little she could do for him and perhaps death would be a mercy. Though was starvation an appropriate way to die? It lacked compassion towards a fellow mortal and a very basic need. Starving was a slow, torturous death. No, she couldn't subject any man to that and she, the only one who knew of him, had a duty to ensure that he did _not_ suffer... no matter what heinous crimes he may have committed. She was not without compassion. She was not.

Early morning dawned and with it she had to steel her nerves for both her impending coronation the next day and a more pressing concern; the man. There was something about him that set her on edge. Something unnatural. Something... evil? No, not evil. Traces remained and yet that man himself was _not_ the source of it. It had been contained within him, but to damn him for what he perhaps could not help was as good as condemning a son for the sins of his father. Unethical.

The princess stood outside the door in her black mourning dress for a good few minutes before she took the keys from about her neck and pushed it into the lock- turning. The cell beyond was dark, the only glow emitting from the blessed cage that her dirty songbird sat in.

She slid the tray beneath the bars and lit a wall sconce with oils and a match she'd brought.

In the farthest corner the man slept on. Zelda pursed her lips, turned and left.

* * *

"...a new dress, of course. Ceremonial- gold and white. What say you, my princess?" The gentleman raised an eyebrow then shifted awkwardly.

Zelda blinked. "Oh. Yes, of course." She swallowed thickly. "Thank you, Victor. You're dismissed." She barely noticed when the man bowed and retreated from the throne room. Since last night she'd felt unsettled. At first thinking it had been her encounter with the prisoner, Zelda had paid little attention to that slight unease. Overnight it had grown stronger. By morning she'd been feeling decidedly jittery. Now, nearing noon, it was unbearable. Wisdom, always present upon her hand and hidden by gloves, warned her of the presence of... what? Not even her piece of the Triforce rightfully knew.

"_Take it..."_

Two simple words, wispy as a leaf on the wind. It seemed as if someone had breathed against her ear. Zelda turned sharply. Nothing. No one. There was a guard stood by the door several feet away, but he hadn't moved. "Soldier, did you speak?"

The armour clad fellow saluted. "No, m'lady."

Zelda frowned.

"_Take it. One left... just one. Take it..."_

This time she stood and swept from the room, hands trembling. Mind racing, all she could think of were those haunting words the prisoner had spoken to her- a warning of voices. The voices had come. She swept down the halls and flung open the door to the dungeons, flying the steps with such speed that her hair flowed out behind her. When finally she descended upon the prisoner's cell in the second basement, she more resembled an avenging angel- wild and unhinged.

"What did you do to me?" Zelda hissed. "What did you do?!"

He looked better having had a meal and given water- no less dirty but his orange eyes proved far more alert. Still, he didn't move from the corner. "I warned you. Nothing more." No longer dry, his voice was deep- sinful as dark chocolate on a warm, summer day. "Your father took something from me. When he died, I should suspect it passed on to you. Didn't you ever once _think_ to question why I'm here, princess?"

Zelda swayed then grasped the cell bars in fear. One hand came up to rub over her face. "You've done wrong. Nothing more." She trembled. "My father was a good man! He would never-!" She halted up. Laughing... he was _laughing._

"Oh, princess. Even good men do terrible, _terrible_ things when they've lost practically their whole world. He lost everything except for _you_. Can you fault a man for wanting it all back?"

Zelda sobbed. "What did you do to him?!" Her fist collided with the wall to her left- dirtying the side of her glove.

The man shook his head. "I told you. I did _nothing_ but warn you. _Don't listen to the voices_."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry for the lateness of this update, guys! I've been quite sick with a head cold that turned into a just as nasty chest cold. I still have it, but I wanted to get a chapter to you anyways. As always, thank you so much for the kind reviews on the last. Love you all and your awesome encouragement!

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**Beauty and the Beast**

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**Chapter 4: Stolen Power**

Night fell over Hyrule and with it Zelda's sense of dread only increased. The voice seemed stronger at night. She had ignored it as long as she could after leaving the dungeons and her unsettling conversation with the red headed prisoner- closing herself into her room and begging the staff to leave her be, citing a sickness she was confident would pass by the next morning. Pass... right. She knew that was a lie.

They asked, concerned, if she wished to postpone her coronation. Zelda declined their kind but unwarranted offers. She was strong and she could handle herself for the sake of her people. Hyrule needed a solid ruler; someone sat properly on the throne. They needed a queen and _not_ a princess. The term princess, as she was the sole heir, implied 'still in training'. Zelda was no such thing. She'd _long_ been ready for her place. Ascension to her was only natural. Even if the cause of it still left her mourning.

Her father... she wanted him now more than ever. Questions had solidified in her mind and she desperately needed answers to them before the voice drove her mad. The voice her father had somehow knowingly carried the burden of. The voice her father had stolen from someone else. The voice. No, the _curse_. It was some sort of curse. It had to be. It was too evil otherwise. Too sentient. It mocked and whispered words of dark encouragement that even a soul as pure as she found difficult to ignore.

The man in her dungeons had shown no inclination to want the 'curse' back and she couldn't blame him. His eyes had been so alive and yet so _dead_. Whatever the curse was, it had broken that man long ago and now it was working to break _her_.

"_But not before I broke your father. He was weak. You don't have to be."_

Damn the voice! "Shut up." Zelda hissed in vehemence- her perfect, pink lips curling back to bare white teeth where she laid upon her bed, haunted. Ever haunted. She only wanted it to go away.

Blissfully, it seemed to take mercy upon her. Or perhaps it was pity. She was exhausted- the mental strain was too much. As she let her eyelids droop, her calm facade broke and a single tear trailed down her cheek. Then a second, a third...

The princess cried herself to sleep.

Outside, the wind howled ominously. Clouds knotted together, covering over the stars and the bright, friendly moon. It started to rain.

* * *

She didn't go to the prisoner in the morning despite knowing he must have been hungry. It was the day of her coronation and she, though selfish as it was, didn't need his dark words marring her heart on that already dreary day. Zelda was strong, but even she could only take so much. Between that man and the voices, they were sure to drive her to the brink, and perhaps beyond. Damn them both. She _would_ rise beyond it. A princess of Hyrule did not lay down and take what was dished out to her without giving back an equal and as Hellish fight. Damn them. Damn them straight to the Twilight Realm.

"You're beautiful, my queen." Her maid, Ella, gushed.

Zelda turned an amused smile on her. "Not your queen yet, Ella dear."

"But soon. And you'll take the crown looking just as radiant as your grandmother. Your father, goddesses rest his soul, he was a handsome man the day of his coronation. But your grandmother... her portrait is a beautiful one. There's nothing as can match a queen. Gorgeous- each and every one of you." The old woman gave her cheeks a pat.

For as used to compliments as a princess needed to be, those words made even Zelda blush. She turned to observe her reflection in the full body mirror; an intricate piece of furniture edged in mahogany. Zelda reached forward to smooth her golden dress. It was embroidered in thin strands of white gold. Her earrings were golden feathers carved so thin they very nearly resembled real ones. She truly did look like an angel. "And shall I have glass slippers like the princesses of fairy tales?" She went on to quip.

Ella giggled. "Only if you wish. Though I think you'd look a sight trying to walk in them."

Both women grinned at the thought.

* * *

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. She chanted it over and over in her mind as creatures snatched her. Creatures with bodies as black as tar- oozing darkness. Beyond them stood a vision from a nightmare; tall and armoured. His helm better resembled a monster; stone, bulging eyes and tongue lolling out. Then he stepped forward.

"Princess Zelda of Hyrule." Even his voice sounded ill- evil. Zelda turned her face from him. A sickly, clawed hand reached out to grasp her chin. She gasped in pain as her head was roughly turned to face the man; forced to look at the visage of his nasty armour. She sneered. The Twili's shoulders bounced in silent mirth. His fingers left her face to trail down her neck, her collar bone... then between her breasts, heaving with anger.

All around her soldiers lay dead or dying. The world had been plunged into a strangely chaotic realm where bits of the dimension broke away in the form of black specks and drifted upward to the sky; absorbed by the ever present cloud cover. "What have you done to my Hyrule?" The princess spat. Beside her, the priest who had been given the honour of crowning her lay dead- blood pouring from a gaping, gruesome chest wound. Her crown lay covered in his blood upon the stone floor of the castle chapel. His hand was upon it and eyes stared unseeing- open wide in surprise and fear. Zelda couldn't look at him. Father Alexander had been a _good_ man.

"I haven't done anything it doesn't deserve." Quick as a flash his hand was off her chest and he'd grasped the fingers of her right hand. Wrenching it up, for a moment he took pleasure in touching her white glove, though was soon to rip it off. Turning her hand over, he looked at the glowing mark of the triforce. "Well, well. Greedy, aren't you? Two pieces!" He cackled with glee. "I'll take one now... the other later." He hadn't the power to remove both at the same time.

Zelda's eyes widened. "Two?!" How had she missed it? Suddenly the pieces fell together in her mind and the holder of Wisdom _knew_. Power. The one that talked evil to her... it was Power. But how had her father gotten it? How had _she_ gotten it? Before she could contemplate it further, a searing pain ripped through her body. The tangy taste of blood assaulted her. She'd bit her tongue. Then, she screamed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Oh, goodness. I meant to have this up _months_ ago. Been beyond busy, I guess. So, SO sorry!

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**Beauty and the Beast**

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**Chapter 5: Ganondorf, King of Thieves  
**

A hand against her left cheek brought her flailing back to her senses. She reached up, her bare right hand poised to claw at he who had dared to take such a liberty with her. A large, calloused, dark hand grasped her wrist. He squeezed gently; not enough to bruise but certainly enough to remind her that her actions had been disapproved of. Orange eyes flickered into her range of view. Zelda gasped- the prisoner! Her own eyes adjusted to her surroundings after that with surprising ease and with a fluttering of her heart she realized desolately that she was in the dungeons, the second level, and contained with _him_.

"I'm sorry." The words fell from her lips with practiced politeness. She sat up. Looking down, a soft snort, conveying a desperate attempt at humour, preceded the princess as she noted that she was missing only the glove that the madman in the throne room had removed to take Power from her. Zelda was swift to remove the second glove, from her left hand and throw it unceremoniously into a corner of the dirty, damp dungeon.

It hit the moldy stone floor with a flop.

"I'd like to think your reaction was warranted. No apologies required, princess. Your kingdom, after all, has just been...ripped from your delicate if capable fingers. I'm sure you're allowed to be on _edge_. Hmm." The deep voice if the other prisoner cut through the dim light. Zelda jumped, blinked and realized she was being exceedingly _silly_. If he'd wanted to kill her, no doubt he'd have done so while she was out. He'd need no weapon to end her life; a big hand around her throat would be enough and-

Her thoughts were cut off when the man moved, a shuffling noise in a world otherwise devoid of sound. The dungeons, she was quickly learning, were a place of complete solitude cut off from the rest of the world. "I don't think I've ever bothered to ask your name."

Silence prevailed. Then, suddenly, the man sneered. "It isn't something I like to remember these days. The meanings behind it are terror, hatred, insanity and loneliness."

Caught off guard, Zelda averted her gaze. "Oh." What could one say to that? There was a burning hatred in the man for everything he was. Regret figuratively oozed from his pores like some evil brand of poison, attempting to purge himself of evils. Yet she had questions with no answers and she figured, after all she had gone through, she deserved to _have_ those answers. "Bringing up your past, I sense, would be foolish of me. That said, I must insist. You warned me of the voices. Let me tell you that I no longer hear them because that too has been taken from me." Not that she'd wanted it in the first place and she knew the prisoner already understood _that_ clearly following their previous encounter. "Did you know what you had? What you _really_ had?"

For a moment she held her breath, watching the man for signs that his disapproval of her stubbornness would bring upon some fit of violence. She starkly remembered him once asking her why she'd never questioned the real reason he was there, and knowing he'd held Power, Zelda was sure it had something to do with an unstable temper.

Her shoulders relaxed when he released a long, audible breath and sat forward.

"I suppose you deserve to know. The situation you found yourself in wasn't courtesy of your own desires." He paused a moment and wet dry lips. "I knew what I had. Of course I did. I've been the only one to hold it since long ago when the door to the Sacred Realm was first opened. I've survived ages- immortal. Killed over and over in an endless cycle of good versus evil; Hylia and her hero versus Demise." He broke off then, oddly emotionless. "You'd have been taught the story in those fancy history classes the castle offers, no doubt."

She had... and they'd terrified her- wondering if it would come time for the cycle to start again. She'd been driven to train with the sword as a supposed fail safe in case the hero, Courage, never came to deliver Wisdom from the clutches of Power. Zelda felt bile rise up in her throat. Things weren't going the way the cycle had planned. Something had changed this time and now she was all too aware of it.

"You're Ganondorf, the king of thieves." Her voice trembled. She was not predisposed to fear, but one had a right to be bothered by the presence of a man who had razed and destroyed Hyrule in the past. Over... and over... and over.

"King? No. Not now. My people are long gone, so I've been told. I went to the desert first upon breaking free of my prison. They're gone. All of them. My people don't _exist_ and so therefore I am no king." Ganondorf seemed to take her fear in stride. Yet his orange eyes darted and a flicker of regret flashed across them. "Would you believe me if I told you my ambitions weren't nearly so lofty once, centuries ago?"

Zelda wasn't sure about that, but she did know one thing for certain, "It drives whoever holds it to madness, forced to obey the whims of the demon inside it."

Ganondorf spoke nothing to that, but his eyes spoke volumes. Oh yes, he'd been a slave for hundreds of years. "I haven't been in control of myself for a long time. Demise tried to stop your father from taking Power from me, of course, but I fought back. I wanted him no longer, even at the cost of my own ambitions. It was enough... if barely. Power was taken and even confined to this cell, for the first time in too long I feel free."

"This man, the one who took Power and still dreams of the others, he'll destroy that freedom. He'll kill you before you can have a real life." Just as he'd kill _her_ too.

A snort came from her companion and she eyed him warily. He was smirking. "And what would you have us do from this cell even if I did say I'd help you?"

Zelda stiffened. "You're a sorcerer still, are you not? Legends speak of your abilities even before Power."

Ganondorf sneered. "Then they embellished them. I am certainly no one man army without _Power_ and gladly am I so. We could never escape this castle alone. _Never_."

* * *

Inky, black creatures brought breakfast in the morning- nothing but a cut of bread and a cup of water and certainly not enough for _one_, never mind _two_. Tentacle-like fingers attempted to wrap around her when she drew near, forced by the creature's movements to come forward and take her meal herself. She screamed at the assault, writhing while the monster assaulted her, touching her in places that left her feeling mortified and used.  
From the side came a roar. Ganondorf launched himself at the beast with a vicious snarl, baring his own smaller but existing fangs. His orange eyes flashed with the primal urge to _kill_ and be rid of the filth. The creature's shrill, unearthly voice shrieked, fingers of searing flames digging into its black flesh. It released Zelda and fled from the cell, leaving her to tremble on the floor.

Ganondorf was at her side in an instant.

"You... why?" The princess shook, leaning against the large hands that rubbed her arms, her only source of comfort.

"I killed, I tortured and I did any number of unspeakable things under the name of Power, but in no state did I _rape_." He looked offended that she should be so surprised by that, his jaw set firm. Morals... he had few, but he _had_ them. "If you have a plan, I'm willing to listen to it now, princess."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Hoping the short time between chapter 5 and 6 is enough to make up for the long time between 4 and 5. I have the story planned out and only need to finish it. Now I know some may be wondering why I didn't have Ganondorf imprisoned in the Twilight Realm before this. I needed him unknowing of Zant for this story to work properly and for him to feel there was an other option aside from manipulating another madman into freeing him into Hyrule. The story of his escape from the Sacred Realm will come up eventually too. I promise I'll tie in all the loose ends.

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**Beauty and the Beast**

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**Chapter 6: Where The Light Does Not Tread**

"There is a world parallel to ours where the people of the light do not tread." Zelda spoke. Her eyes were dead, darkened by memories of a story that had been drilled into her head just as they had been taught to every royal before her. The tale was never to be forgotten, the mistakes were never to be repeated. To a child, as she'd been when she'd heard the tale, it was a story built of nightmares. "Our ancestors called the first to be sent to this place the Dark Interlopers. Like... you... they attempted to reach the Sacred Realm and the goddesses were forced to have them imprisoned within this parallel world by way of a relic known as the Mirror of Twilight."

Ganondorf seemed pensive. "Legends long ago spoke of a power known as the Fused Shadow. I admit that I had looked for that first before making my attempt upon the Sacred Realm. It was beyond my grasp so I turned my sights onto... higher powers." How would things have gone differently had he not gotten the Triforce? Yet there was little sense in dwelling on the what ifs in the world. The past, as he had long since resigned himself to, could not be changed by he.

A large, calloused hand reached forward to touch one of the pieces of darkness that floated about their cell. Since the Twili called Zant had invaded Hyrule, he had perverted the beauty of the land. His fingers passed through the particles. Ganondorf's heavy brows furrowed.

Clang! The door at the end of the dungeons flew open and hit the stone wall behind it with a resounding vibration. Ganondorf glanced to the princess. It was time.

Zelda stood, head held high even while she trembled. She was acutely aware of the fragment of metal hidden in the voluminous folds of her coronation gown. Ganondorf, she knew, had a piece of the breakfast tray as well. He'd destroyed it in a fit earlier that day and their monstrous captors had punished him for it, but in the end it was worth it. They had weapons.

"They won't kill the bastards, you know." Ganondorf mumbled from behind.

Zelda's breath hitched. He was close- his horrid breath ghosting across her ear. It was a rancid smell though she held no illusions about her own either. It wasn't as if Zant was gracious enough to offer a toothbrush or two. "Isn't that why I have you?" The princess muttered in return.

Ganondorf snorted and said nothing, moving himself to 'greet' the Shadow Beast at the cell door. He kept the required distance until the door opened. Gritting his teeth, he bared them in anger and moved forward. Black magic surged out, strangling the infernal creature. The Shadow Beast writhed and screeched but it did little good. Falling to the floor, the beast disintegrated into nought but wispy shadows that curled upward towards the ceiling. It dissipated entirely before it could touch the stone.

"Move, princess. We shall either escape or die trying."

Zelda nodded. She had been trained by her father but was untried in real combat. This was nothing like sparring with the castle guard. Still, she was the rightful heir to the throne of Hyrule. _I am far from weak_, Zelda reminded herself. Squaring her shoulders, she removed her heeled boots and walked barefoot from their cell. Though her heart trembled, the dirty back of her companion's shirt as he walked ahead of her reminded her to keep moving. She wasn't weak. They would escape and then they would return and kill Zant.

_They_. She knew even holding Wisdom that she had not the skill to kill that man alone. Her eyes flickered to Ganondorf's fiery, matted mane. _Ganondorf_. And he was on her side. Or so it seemed. She held no illusions as to his character. Power or not, he was a man of ambition that had admitted to once wanting the Fused Shadow, then turning his sights onto the Triforce when the supposed easier relic of power could not be found. Would he betray her before all was said and done?

A hand at her elbow jolted the princess back to reality. Ganondorf had grabbed her and was making for a side hall in the dungeons; the hallway Zelda had spoken of for their escape. "There exists a drainage pipe for the sewers there. They run under Castle Town." She mumbled, her head swivelling to glance behind her. Nothing. How _odd._ Had Zant underestimated them? Had he, by chance, dismissed her companion as merely a man? Not the highly capable warlord that he was? Laughable! And here Ganondorf had thought their escape would be impossible. Though she couldn't fault him that- at least he planned for the worst. If it proved easier, all the better for them.

"And it exits into a bar. Yes. You told me." He grumbled. _Shut up_ went unspoken, but well implied.

Zelda frowned and raised an eyebrow. Point taken.

* * *

"Aside from the rats, it was a pleasurable trip. We should see about marketing that lovely... stench. Perhaps you can use it as a perfume, princess." Locking the large doors behind them, Ganondorf gave Telma's Bar a critical look. Like the castle, the town was bathed in twilight. How far did it extend? It was a chilling thought while he plucked a sword from the side wall. The belt looked to be too small but it made it around his hips secured by the last notch. The sword looked like little more than a dagger or short sword on the large, imposing man. For years held in a dungeon and poorly treated by her father, he'd retained his structure remarkably well. Odd but fortunate. Perhaps the extinct Gerudo were a heartier race than had been assumed.

Zelda cast him a withered look. "Please. Teasing doesn't suit you, Ganondorf. It's cringe worthy." Her eyes followed him to the entrance. She waited while he cracked the door and silently motioned her forward. The alley was clear.

Their steps didn't echo, neither of them had shoes. Able to move silently, they made it across the small stone yard in front of the bar, up the stairs and- there! Shadow Beasts! They patrolled the streets two at a time. Ganondorf had placed a hand to the hilt of his sword. About to draw it, he stilled when Zelda placed a hand upon his large shoulder. She motioned to a ladder to one side, partially obscured by shadows. They could go along the roofs.

Ganondorf nodded, motioning for her to precede him up. He followed a few steps behind.

The shingles were easy to grip with one's toes if incredibly rough on the bottoms of Zelda's feet. The Gerudo seemed to be faring better, but he was toughened from years of life in the desert and centuries under the control of Power. Eventually they made it to the other side, the house closest to the gates.

Getting down proved interesting. In the end Ganondorf went ahead, simply dropping off the ledge. His height proved invaluable for the short fall and he landed well on his feet, bending his knees to absorb the impact. Zelda was... far less graceful; shorter and in a damnable dress that she was starting to severely regret not ripping the bottom of the skirts off of while she'd had the chance. Easing off the edge, the princess fell into her companion's arms and barely stifled a squeak. Heights weren't exactly her forte. Ganondorf smirked.

The West Gate barely creaked when the pair slipped from Castle Town and out into the field beyond. Empty. Blessedly empty! Zelda made for the barrier, intending to walk through... and found her hands pressed against it. Her mouth worked but no sounds emitted. They couldn't leave. No wonder they'd been allowed from the castle itself! The barrier of twilight prevented them from escaping entirely.

Ganondorf looked thunderous.

"A spell...?" Zelda made to ask of him.

Ganondorf shook his head. "There are none in my admittedly extensive repertoire that could pierce this... _thing_." At the last he sneered. The situation had gone well beyond dreadful and straight into the realm of impossible. "Forget this route. We must attempt to find another way. The twilight cannot pierce underground where nothing dwells, surely?"

Zelda thought for a moment. "In the south there is a waterway leading back into the field. We'll try there." It was their last option. Waiting for a hero that may well never come simply wasn't in the cards. Ganondorf no longer held power. The cycle had been broken. In some ways she wondered if it would have been best that he had remained the servant of Demise. He and her father may well have damned Hyrule for the last time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** The last two chapters weren't edited, as you can likely tell with all the typos. I'd like to apologize for that. Having read through them again myself I can honestly say I'm very sorry you all had to deal with that issue. I had time to edit this one a little more.

* * *

**Beauty and the Beast**

* * *

**Chapter 7: A Glimpse of Sunlight**

"Where are you going?" Ganondorf made an about turn. His matted hair whirled about behind him.

Zelda stilled and turned. She was several steps back in the direction of Castle Town. "The waterway is through another gate."

Ganondorf frowned. "We're not returning inside, princess." They lacked the power to kill the beasts within aside from his magic and he had no want to be sent back to that cell. No doubt a second escape would not be as easy. Or perhaps the Twili controlling the castle would just have them killed to spare himself the trouble. _He_ would have done that to _his_ captives, after all. It was far easier than having to worry about the little termites. Past experience had taught him that taking prisoners was a recipe for disaster. Past incarnations of _Zelda_ and her little _hero_ had taught him that.

Damn kids.

"Then how do you propose we leave?" Zelda raised an eyebrow. It was a rhetorical question. She knew there was no other way. "We cannot simply hop over cliff sides and walls with nought but a please and thank you."

Heaving a great sigh, Ganondorf raised meaty, calloused fingers to pinch the wide bridge of his nose. "I don't _know_, princess." His yellowed teeth ground together. Zelda winced. It was an awful sound. Ganondorf didn't seem to care. In fact, at that point if it annoyed her he seemed content to just keep doing it. "Damn it, woman. Give me time to think."

Zelda opened her mouth to say something scathing and... paused. She raised a hand to him and motioned to one side. Voices from _outside_ the twilight. One sounded decidedly male and the other childish; high pitched yet oddly sinister in some ways. No. Wait. Not sinister. Just sarcastic. Zelda looked to her companion. Ganondorf stared back.

A silent decision was made.

Ganondorf approached the barrier with caution, laid a hand against it and spoke clearly: "Can you hear me?" Stiled and apparently ineffective since no answer was forthcoming. The voices had stopped at his words, but no move was made to respond. "Useless-" He'd turned to speak to Zelda when a great shudder ran along that section of the barrier. "Damn!" The Gerudo spat, launching himself forward towards the princess in a mad dash to escape the black particles that had impacted the ground right where he had been previously. Breathing heavily, a hand flew to the hilt of the sword at his hip. He gripped it with white knuckles.

Zelda, effectively weaponless aside from the piece of metal tray in her dress, fisted her fingers and watched with narrowed eyes.

The wolf that emerged from the darkness was too tame to be normal. There was intelligence in its bright blue eyes and for a moment the beast and Ganondorf stared each other down. The moment was broken when an imp-like creature landed upon the beast's back. "Hey. You two." The imp smirked, flashing little fangs. "Not spirits, huh?" Whacking the wolf's back, she urged her 'steed' forward.

"And glad of it." Ganondorf returned. "If that is the fate that Hylians have been given in this worthless world, I'll be glad to have avoided it."

The imp smirked again. "What's so bad about it?"

Ganondorf sneered, about to draw his sword again when Zelda glided between them. "Calm yourselves before you make a mess of this situation and call those foul creatures down on us." The Shadow Beasts screeched ominously from beyond the gates of Castle Town. All turned to eye the large doors warily. They remained resolutely closed. Moments passed before Zelda could breathe a sigh of relief, continuing conversation in a hushed tone. "We need to escape. Please. Can you get us out?"

Rising up, the imp pushed off the wolf's back with her little hands to float towards the princess. "Hmmmmm. Alright. But just to the outside." Raising her little hands to the forbidding sky, a portal of black opened above them all. Ganondorf, able to see it, made to grab Zelda's hand, unwilling to be separated from her when they'd already come so far together.

The world went black. Thankfully it didn't stay that way for long. Soon both the Gerudo and the princess were stumbling across the soft, sun lit grass of the true Hyrule Field. Zelda breathed a shaky sigh of relief. "Thank you." She spoke to the imp, a hand running through her snarled hair.

Shrugging, the creature raised a little black hand to wave as if dismissing them. "Go on! Link and I have places to go, princesses to save..." She trailed off.

Zelda stepped forward to still their advance. "No! _I_ am princess Zelda of Hyrule. Avoid that place if you can for now. There's a man there. He's taken-"

The imp cut her off. "Oh! You're the princess? Lucky us!" Yet the mention of the 'man' made her float forward. Though in their world she was nought but the wolf's shadow. "I know. The _man_ is called Zant and he has a dream of turning your world into twilight. We were coming to you to see how to turn Link back to his Hylian form. He's cursed." The shadow indicated the wolf.

Tilting her head slightly, Zelda approached. "I have not the power to break this curse. But I know something that can. You must travel to the Sacred Grove and obtain the Master Sword - the sword of evil's bane. There is such a great light within it that it will break the curse. But... only if he can wield it."

"He can." The imp seemed certain of it and it made Zelda straighten, raising her chin to peer down at the beast.

Ganondorf came to her side. "So this is supposed to be Hyrule's hero? And what are you, imp? I'd half expected a whiny ass fairy." Shaking his head, heavy steps took him past the imp and onward into the field. "Zelda. We need to leave – find shelter before night sets in."

A frown creased the princess' delicate lips. "Forgive him. He lacks the ability to be a polite member of Hylian society. What may I address you as?"

A grumble came from the shadow imp before she shrugged. "Let him go. The monsters will get him eventually, I figure." Except not. He'd stood some distance away to wait for Zelda. The imp retreated back into the wolf's shadow, indicating the conversation was coming to a close. "My name is Midna. Come on, Link. At least we know our next stop."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** You'll note that I use the Arbiter's Grounds as the former Spirit Temple too. That's a choice I knowingly made for the sake of this story and nothing more.

**Beauty and the Beast**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Duty of a Princess**

The night was bright. Stars sparkled in the sky above, partially shrouded by the canopy of the forest they'd found themselves in just off the edge of Hyrule field. Two days had passed since their escape from Hyrule Castle and while it seemed troops of Zant's captured beasts tromped by in search of them, they were never found. Ganondorf had remarked once upon the intelligence of such creatures, speaking that they made for incompetent soldiers. Zelda had figured he would be the sort to know, considering his past attempts upon Hyrule himself while under the ghastly control of Demise.

They'd found clothing the day before at an abandoned farm. Ill fitting, at least the threadbare garments did the job intended. They'd also taken the time to wash. Ganondorf had shaved his mangy beard down to a level more manageable and Zelda found the man beneath the grime to be oddly alluring. Or perhaps it was just his exotic nature. After all, the Gerudo as a race no longer existed. He was the last and that made him like a rare beast, perhaps; beautiful yet so very deadly.

Bokoblins had attacked that home, however, and feeling they'd return to finish their plundering, Ganondorf had insisted they not spend their first night there. They'd retreated with a canvas tarp from the barn and rope, making it to the forest just before nightfall.

Another day later and they were still there.

Zelda glanced to the side to see the Gerudo smoking a pipe he'd pilfered from the farm and gnawing a strip of beef jerky with his sharp teeth. He didn't look particularly at ease, but neither was he entirely on edge.

"We'll have to move again soon." His voice cut through the quiet.

Zelda sighed. "I suppose. When will we return to the castle? Can we determine a safe route?"

Ganondorf shook his head and snorted, then he spoke. "There _isn't_ a safe route. Leave the hero and his imp to their business. I did my part and got you out. Don't make me play the part of hero for you as well, princess. You hardly need more than the one I _assure_ you." There was a bitterness in his tone that belayed residual resentment towards the incarnation of Courage. Time and time again he'd been defeated and while even now Ganondorf didn't hold Power nor was he consumed by Demise's evil, he still had a vast amount of pride. The word _lose _wasn't typically in his vocabulary.

The princess sneered. "Then _why_ are you still here?"

Her question went unanswered. In the end she hummed thoughtfully to watch him simply turn his head and shrug.

"I suppose I'll have to return on my own, then." It was a gamble, but instinct told her it was one that would pay off. He was acting _bashful_, goddesses forbid. Perhaps that was worth using. After all he'd done to Hyrule in the past, he owed them a few favors. Feelings or not, she could use him. Loyalty based on his heart would only make it easier.

He did just as she'd suspected, raising orange eyes to her in panic. "Not alone. Don't be stupid." He frowned. "Fine. Though these lowly weapons won't pierce the beasts of the twilight. We need better."

Zelda tilted her head. "The Arbiter's Grounds hold a sword. The Sword of the Sages. It was used to execute only our most ghastly prisoners until the day came that the prison was used no longer. The sword was sealed within a chamber." He was a self serving man, but not particularly evil. Zelda was confident Ganondorf could wield the blade without causing himself harm by way of its powerful white magic.

"And what will you do when your hero comes to kill _me_ next?" He seemed so certain of that outcome regardless of the fact that he no longer held Power. Ganondorf felt it was his destiny to fall with each time he was revived into Hyrule, each time he had a hope of living. Perhaps this time would be different, but he suspected not. That was just the way of the cycle.

Zelda blinked. "Why should he? You're not our enemy... are you?" Another test.

This time Ganondorf recognized her tone for what it was and raised his chin, staring down the bridge of his fairly prominent nose at her. "I want your word that when this is over, I may leave with my life and my freedom."

"That I can promise. Though to keep that promise, first we must free Hyrule and ensure _all_ our lives." The princess inclined her head.

A deep "Hmm." was his only answer.

* * *

From the lofty edge of the Gerudo Desert, Ganondorf set one booted foot upon a sand worn rock, leaning with an arm against his knee to peer down over Lake Hylia far below. The winds that day were hot and harsh and both the Gerudo and the Hylian princess had adorned their heads with white cloths. "Your hero has already freed the Lake of twilight. He doesn't need us." Ganondorf observed. When he received no answer he turned. Zelda was already striding off across the sands. "Quicksand, woman! _Quicksand_." He was quick to emphasize. "And enemies!" Warnings she didn't heed. Growling, he stomped off after her.

"Do you want to be killed?" Catching up had required a short jog, something he was most unwilling to do in such heat, knowing it was best to make the trip slow and steady. "We rushed across Hyrule Field. It took us only two days to cross to that damnable lake. I refuse to kill us both by running a marathon across the desert." Heatstroke was a very real threat, after all, and death by dehydration. They had water, but no amount of water could save a person from the harsh elements if they were stupid enough to not respect the desert climate.

"We're running out of time!" Zelda retorted.

Ganondorf snarled. "And what good are you to your kingdom if you're _dead_?!"

Zelda stilled. She took several breaths and then calmly retrieved her water skin. A couple sips and she was calm. "I'm sorry. You're right. This isn't the place to let panic overtake me. This desert is too dangerous to run forward without thinking."

"Thank you." The Gerudo released a long breath of relief. "The Arbiter's Grounds, as you called them, we called the Spirit Temple once upon a time." He smirked. "It was there that high above the main chamber a mirror existed that we, the Gerudo, were entrusted with to keep from... unsavory hands. Even in my reign I didn't presume to touch the mirror. It radiated a power even I was leery of. My pride wasn't so great that I thought myself strong enough to control what was through that mirror. It was only after meeting you in the castle dungeons that I learned it was the gateway to another world." A bit of back story, but he was going somewhere with it. "I'll admit we saw nothing of this Sword of the Sages. Are you _certain_ that it exists?"

Zelda seemed oddly calm. "It isn't only legend. My grandfather saw the sword with his own eyes. I was very small when he passed, but we all were told the story of the last execution held in the Arbiter's Grounds. My grandfather, as a royal, attended of course."

Ganondorf inclined his head to her. "Then I suppose we continue this... treasure hunt."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Please note that this chapter is where the story earns the M rating I gave it. If you don't want to read anything regarding sexual content, please skip this short chapter.

* * *

**Beauty and the Beast**

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Love of a Monster**

Night in the desert was as harsh as the day, though frigid cold. Rubbing her arms, Zelda sat with her knees up and hunched forward, vainly trying to soak up the warmth of their small fire. They'd sought refuge among one of the many cliffs and rocky outcrops scattered about the sandy landscape and Ganondorf had deemed it safe to have a fire because of that cover. They wouldn't be seen by prying eyes.

Her gaze shifted to his silent form, sat stiffly across the fire from her. It was moments like that, when they stopped, that she was reminded of his quiet attraction to her. He'd never voiced it, had never touched her with anything more than a strong hand meant to still her small but sure steps, but that night in the forest, four days ago now, had proved his feelings. He'd blushed and refused to answer her question. _Why are you still here?_ She knew why now. He was there for _her_ protection. He wanted her, he yearned for her, he was loyal because of his crush on her. Was it love? She wasn't sure if he could feel such a thing. He was strong but broken in strange ways by that monster that had controlled him for centuries. Perhaps true love was beyond him. Or perhaps he only believed it was. She didn't know. She also didn't know what to do about his affections. Did she return them? Well, that depended on if he was bound to break her heart. He was a kinder man without Demise, but the demon hadn't made him go for the Triforce in the first place.

"You say you did it for your people." Zelda spoke suddenly. It earned her a swift and somewhat startled look. She hadn't spoken for a good hour, after all. His attention forced her to continue on. "The Triforce, I mean. You said you did it for your people."

Ganondorf exhaled slowly. "I did, but I shouldn't have. Their extinction is on my shoulders. My actions were far too bold and my intentions were... less than ideal when it came down to it. I made the Sacred Realm a place of evil. When it changed, that was when I knew I'd damned everyone. Hylians, the Gerudo... even myself. It's a wonder Hyrule still stands to this day."

Zelda hesitated only a moment before making her decision. Rising, the princess moved silently around the fire and sat at the man's side. She placed a hand to his jaw, feeling along the bright, red beard there. The soft pad of her thumb moved to touch his lower lip. It was with great satisfaction that she watched as his eyes lidded and his lips parted obligingly for her. This time when he exhaled it was a motion made of contentment. Then his eyes fluttered shut behind red eyelashes. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

It was a soft kiss, gentle and above all, an experiment. A _worthy_ experiment however, as he was enthusiastic in chasing her lips after, near demanding a second kiss that was far more searing and passionate that the first. "You're so full of _fire_, aren't you my Gerudo?" The princess breathed against his lips. His only reply was to all but purr while her fingers trailed along his neck, arching his head back to give her better access. So she simply brought his head down to kiss him again.

She wasn't sure exactly how it had happened, the details were hazy, but all too soon she had him shirtless, fingers trailing along his chest hair. He was a beast of a man but that night the beast had been tamed and he'd become gentle with her, pliable and easily shaped by her slender, clever fingers.

Zelda gasped when his large hands found the ties of her dress and removed it entirely. Then his hands were on her breasts, teasing and kneading. Not long after they came together with grunts of pleasure, coupling on sheets on the desert floor and using their body heat to stay warm. No longer was the desert cold that night, not when she had Ganondorf to keep her so hot that she felt sweat beading beneath her breasts.

That night in the midst of passion was the first time he roared out that he loved her. She believed him.


End file.
